The Phantoms and the fire
by Dillinja
Summary: A tale of mastering ones fear, of facing ones own evils and exorcising the demons inside our own hearts. A tale of great and undying frienship but also of sadness brought about by evil.


Hello there, dear reader, and thank you for taking the time to come and check out my story. This is a great moment for both you and me. You, because you are about to read something truly special and for me because I loved writing it. As you will quickly come to understand, this story is actually quite a force of it's own thought it's shares a certain subtle spirit with Armored Core. All of this story is already written so your all you have to do is request the next chapter and it will be promptly uploaded.  
  
Chapter I- Phantoms of the storm  
A fierce winds blow over the Barren land of west Murumari. Over the distant sand dunes, in the dying light of day, the sun flares somberly as it disappears behind the hills. Look all you like, you will not find this place o n any Midland map for this place is a land forsaken by man and beast alike. Truly " no mans land"; lost since the great cataclysm many decades ago and few but the most enterprising smugglers dare this deadly route. Airships no longer fly over her for the wild and swift sandstorms have claimed many lives ships. Look to the North and you hear the dead silence of the Esmer sea, quiet and somber waves gliding over her dark waters. But now to East our attention must turn:  
  
Over the land 9 giants rumble. It is hard to explain to one who has never seen such thing just exactly what they are. Like unto men they stand; in the upright position- but beyond that explanations escapes words. A platoon of hulking figures clad all in gray steel. To some they might look like massive armored knights come from the land of giants to the realm of mortal men. But it is not so; they are agents dispatched from the land if Midland in every land their fearsome forms are given different names. The people of the eastern country call them simply "Stilagra" Steel-dread. In the North country- where these things were first given birth- they have many names. Their creators call them mobile suits and in the slang of those who use them they are sometimes called Gears. These particular models are AHG-9 Multi-role Units, better known as Dobermen. Steadfast they stand, and it seems that the storm that blows about them with such conviction hold little sway againt their four storie steel forms. Great they rise above the horizon, like the monsters from tales of old, each carrying with him a pilot, a beast master to turn Korniva's will to action to violent and swift action.  
  
" Now listen!" said captain Xai, in his metallic tone "He will not have gotten far, not with his gear in such a state as we left it. do not show mercy to the would-be defector. By committing the very act of trying to escape he has sentenced himself to death. You are the executioners. Do not fail in your task." Silence. " with those words a shout of elation went up from the entire platoon. Every one of these men loved their captain for strong were his convictions and none they believed could equal him in majesty or might. Glad were they ever to walk in the light of his graces for they held him in awe and reverence. Dearly they cherished the honor of being in his rank. In their moments of arrogance some even considered themselves invincible as long as they were with the great captain Fanta. Among the captains of the Korniva army he is revered most far and wide, but his worship is eclipsed only by his terror for he was a captain fond of violence and had been know to leave whole town destroyed in his shadow. Never was he seen without a black mask covering his face that reveal little of his face save the dark pale eyes that none could bare long to look at. He seemed made of a different clay than other men, and some even fancied the though that he was not a man at all for something about him always seemed inhuman, something he kept hidden or covered beneath his long scarlet and black cloak. Within the Kornivan army he had made his own elite unit and named them the Mobile Dragoons. Each of the five members of the company were trained by him personally, though what they had been taught was a mystery to all but themselves and their captain and none would speak of it to any other.  
  
After all the orders had been assigned, two gears dashed off to the north, two to the east, two to the south and two to the west. the western duo is followed by the captain. As the squadron began their mission many of them found themselves asking many questions, though only to themselves, even after the briefing none knew why they were here, "A gear had been stolen from the Hangar by an unknown individual, that much they knew. The gear had been damaged and might now be dysfunctional but the thief was to be captured an taken to base for punishment". In all truth they expected it would be a simple mission, it sound simple enough. But still they wondered why then had 9 Mobile Units been sent out to destroy or capture one. They had a lot of Questions but asked none of them, for the most part they were content with just being part on an operation with this captain, one of such high renown, the leader of the Dragoon as it was. They though about how well their stories would tell tomorrow in the mess hall and the renown they themselves would gain for all the other young men they served with.  
  
Somewhere, not too far away. In the raging night some way from the search party the storm has grown more violent as it moves across the plain. In the midst of it a mobile suit lies slowly burning, being consumed by the unforgiving desert. As the thick black smoke emit from the destroyed frame it is quickly seized by the wind and thrown about; lost in the night.. Not too far from the gear a figure struggles disoriented against the storm. He staggers as he takes every labored step, one arm outstretched towards the sun far on the horizon. All he can think of is reaching the bright light, he reckons nothing of the blood that covers him, nothing of the gashes that are causing him to lose blood. He does not realize that he will soon be unconscious, then he will be delivered back to the place of his dread, his mind is filled with only one though: Escape. He had committed to it when he chose to break his shackles and make a mad dash to the hanger guards in toe. He had committed to in two weeks before when the plan was first drafted in the dim torchlight of a cold cell. The will to escape had lifted now, that part was over. Now began the struggle to keep his freedom. Now began the struggle to survive.  
  
In his haste to escape he had grabbed the first gear he laid eyes upon. The great hanger was too large for him to run it all and already his troubled lungs had begun to falter. The guards were close on him and more were coming. Had he tried for the Reino in the distance he might have been caught long before he ever got truly free. So he had taken the Junker, and now, lying destroyed with six steel bolts in it's engine, it had failed him. Had he a more able unit, he would have given them such a fight as to reawaken their fear of him, deeply rooted but forgotten in the waning of years. Now his hasty decision threatened to become a fatal one. For when the opportunistic Korniva soldiers found that their first volley of fire went unchallenged, they unleashed ballistic hell upon the decrepit prey. How they had laughed when they saw it go down in a trial of smoke to the great mouth of the yawning dunes. But unfortunately for them, when it crashed to the ground their plan had gone awry for the sandstorm twisted violently about them and in a moment, Murumari desert had robbed them of their prey. But now they were beginning to close on their target again, ready to wrest it from the dark deserts protection..  
  
" Watts, There he is" Reid shouted. The green gear turned towards a small figure in the distance, almost impossible to see, but it was there staggering westward. As he brought the Reino closer he readied the harpoon arm and pointed it at the small figure on the ground below him. This alone he expected would be enough to frighten the figure but he seems to pay no heed. Watts shot a signal beacon into the night sky to alert the others of his position. The bright red light casting a glow that looked like blood over the surrounding area. For a brief moment the Young man turned and looked when the light shot up into the air, for the first time the two men saw who "he" was. " A, A, Alex?" one muttered. Shortly after the other spoke: " Alex!" he said quietly almost to himself seeing the face of the person they had been sent to hunt, he was lost for a moment, "Why are we-", Bu the escapee just turned back around and continued to walk from them. The first of the men, who's name was Reid stopped and lowered his gun as the escapee continued to walk on. The second, Watson, hesitated for a moment as well but snapped back into himself and said to the other "Come on, we can't neglect or orders even if it is Alex" he said moving closer to the hurt young man.  
  
Alex !! Stop !!" Watson shouted pulling his Reino's massive machine gun. " Alex, I said stop" Watson yelled, but still he kept going. " Reid, fire a warning shot at him !" Watson ordered, he waited but Reid did not move, at length he said " At Alex ? No !" " Reid, He's a deserter now, Fire at him once, For the Glory of the Korniva empire" Slowly Reid's gave a shaky response " Escape?, to where ? he's out here in the desert, alone and hurt badly, I didn't know we were after Alex or I never would have came" " I didn't know either Reid" said Watson softly, " But I suspected he would try something like this sooner of later, He's looked unhappy for a while now" But suddenly as if a wind coming from the far off fortress had hit him he cried " But we can't neglect our duties, no difference if it's Alex or your own mother, Shoot !" Softly Reid replied "You wouldn't shoot him either!", Watson said nothing. But again his quest for glory overcame him and he lifted the cross gun to fire a shot but just as he did the other seven gears landed, "what are you doing you fool" General Xai Barked moving the cross-gun from the direction of the young man. The general Reino opened it's hand in the direction of the young man. A beam of light shot from it engulfing the wounded young man, He dropped to his knees, but got back up slowly and continued to walk from his pursuers, even as the Gazelle does after lions have surrounded it.  
  
"Even now you continue to fight" this time he allowed the blast to charge slightly longer than previously, it did not fail the second time, he fell to the ground, letting out a slight gasp.  
  
" And so end your futile attempt" gloated the captain, "March, take him up!". But March did not move, no one moved, many were in shock still, upon realizing that the person they had been hunting like a Jackal was their beloved Alex, second captain of the Mobile Vanguards, and their heart were saddened and a hush of sorrow fell on them, and many realized in that moment that they loved him. When all others had shunned them and treated them as if they were refuse, trash that would be disposed of in an upcoming battle, Alex had not, he had treated them with like people and judge them only by the strength of their virtues. And to see him like this was sorrowful. In past days they had seen him far more to seem him in past days had heartened them, many though back to the unbearable training, and the times they had seen him out there watching over them it seemed, and then the unbearable ness of it waned a little and it seemed more bearable. Unfreezing himself from his state March asked "Captain, do we have to take him back like this ?". The captain said nothing but let out a growl of anger, March moved to his task. Just that moment two things happened, the signal flare went out darkening the sky above and around them, at that same moment a load sound was hear and a something cut through the air speedily towards them. March let out a faint sound and then his gear was blasted apart.  
  
" What was that?" the captain said. As soon as he did a bullet smashed through the searchlight just as it had the others. " Snipers!" one of the men yelled as all the Rio's pulled for their rifles.  
  
Five of the Reino moved outwards as four moved in and bent down. They all took different firing directions although none knew just what they were firing at. The night was lit up with the spark created by the bolts of the gears. For A minute at least it went on, then all in unison the gears stopped. Dead silence. Suddenly yet another sharp whistling sound came but this time exploding on impact, destroying one of the gears.  
  
"Captain what do we do ?" Watson yelled. " Signal flares !" shouted the captain, "now!" The Reino's signal flares rocketed into the sky, like fiery hawks. Now they could see their attackers. Atop a ridge stood one lone gear brandishing a long range sniper rifle. With the aid of the searchlight to guide it it fired once more. ssed. The gears all turned their gun towards the ridge and fired a halo of bolts but the red gear blasted into the sky narrowly missing several bullets. Simultaneously two of the Reino's broke rank and pursued the escaping gears. As they crossed the crimson border the heavy metal feet were lifted from the ground. A great shot of white energy that seemed like lightning disintegrated them upon impact.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON ?" yelled styles, "General ,requesting permission to retreat" his voice sounding shaky. The other pilots were thinking the same thing. It was not often that a Reino was destroyed in battle. Most who would attack them simply did not have the power to destroy one. So to see four be destroyed by an enemy the were unable to so much as touch was somewhat of a demoralizing experience. The captain hardly paid attention to the request of styles. He was much more interested in the weapon and the power of it. Never before had he seen anything do such a thing to a Reino. Besides as far as he knew the Korniva army were the only ones who possed the much coveted "Tech" to make such a weapon. This was something new and powerful, and it would be his. But this request pierced his though as if it were a lance. A cowardly request for retreat was intolerable from any troops under his control and he would later make that very clear to styles, assuming styles survived this attack. " Captain, we've already lost three units and can't see wh." The large metal hand of the captain gear swung around like a gigantic sledgehammer knocking styles from his feet. " Run ? from desert bandit ? Trig Rainey will never be reduced to that !"he said putting his revolver away and upsizing to his mini-gun "cease fire" he shouted, The men were unsure of just what the captain intended but they trusted his command and respected his authority but with some reluctance they did at they were ordered. His Reino-XL standing straight and tall, General Xai slowly turned his gun to the right of him, into the night, raised his gun to the right and fired once into the darkness, just that moment they hear the sound a gear maneuvering quickly, the general shot had missed. but not by very much. he did this twice more and the third shot connected with something although it was far away and none could see what. His men were in sheer amazement. Suddenly the captain stopped abruptly, In the middle of his feat something had seemed to startle him, so much so that he put his gun away and instantly powered the Reino's jumpers jets. " LETS GO " he shouted to the remainder of his troops. " General, what is it", but the captain did not reply.  
  
And suddenly from some distance away the Reino pilots could hear a great charge being gathered, It sounded like a shrill battle cry, faint at first but steadily grew louder, as if a battalion were approaching from the darkness. The remaining Reino's all began to dash back, as they did so they " split" at the captains command.  
  
Out of the darkness a blinding beam of light shot from the core of the darkness, Watson Reino was overtaken as he attempted to escape, it was blown away as no more than dust As suddenly as it had come the beam returned back into the Darkness. The remaining four gears were allowed to escape.  
  
Laughing a voice spoke out of the Darkness "Excellent work Syx" he said then turning his praise to the gun " Dr Maxwell had outdone himself this time, That gun blasts a mean round" as he said, The Gear came forward, "But that bastard got us in the arm didn't he Ryker" he said speaking softly to his Gear, indeed the gears arm had been hit while dodging the shots. From the Darkness a sand dune began to rise up and then from out under it came a Large green gear, larger than the red one standing by it , the black cloak fell from it's shoulders, The Gear was Rotarian and in it's hand was the mighty gun that had dusted the Reino. The field gun it had been named by it's creator Dr Maxwell.  
  
They talked for a few moments more of the skirmish they had just fought, Sharky, the pilot of the swift red gear had been hit in the arm. he looked at it talking to the gear softly, " Don't worry honey, next time well kill three of them to make up for this, ya !" it was a minor hit and would easily be repaired by the next day but Sharky resented his baby being damaged even in the least. She was his baby, after all. Presently he looked back at Syx and said "let's get back to the ship, ya, before we get eaten by a Zone-Worm", he took the large gun from Syx and turned running the Gear briskly off into the night. Syx was hardly as excited about his first kill as Sharky was for him but he was a Raven now and much more than this was in store for him.  
  
The mighty Green and silver Gear rose up to it's full height now, In the distance red lights started flashing. The Nomad Base had come down to get him and Sharky. Syx was turning to walk back to the gear in the distance something caught his eyes, also in the distance he could hear the far off cry of the scavenging Zone Worms coming to collect the rubble from the fight.  
  
Slowly Rotarian walked over to the small figures, even from the gear he could see that there was quite a bit of blood on and around them. Gently he took the cloak he had been wearing and took the little person into it, at this time he was not sure whether or not he was dead but either way he hoped he could find a burial more suitable than the ones the vultures would certainly give him. He was under the impression that if this boy he had been killed it was a result of the fighting Syx and had just been involved in and as a result felt directly responsible for his state, sometimes seemingly too much so for a member of a group of hired killers. When he was done wrapping he put the cloak in arm and took off gently not wanting to possibly hurt the boy any more than he already had been. 


End file.
